This will be the last year for our present elementary program at Burton School. Sadly our enrollment is just too low for us to continue to be able to provide a rich educational experience and diverse social environment for children's learning. This school is dearly loved by the community of Burton and holds wonderful memories for families, community members, teachers, support staff and students. I am grateful for every minute I have been able to spend here, sharing in the learning of others while learning new things for myself.
If you would like to visit the school on Thursday evenings between now
and the end of the year, you can take part in the weaving project that
is helping us record memories and pull together as a community during
this time of transition. At school, we are working with our students to help them move on, with confidence, to new, exciting learning experiences. We are planning a potluck supper in June to celebrate all the incredible experiences we continue to share on these grounds. During this evening, there will be opportunities to share memories and wishes for the future.
Burton community members aren't willing to let our school go. Plans are in the works for an all-ages learning centre and community hub, devoted to providing education and wellness to Burton and Burtonites, and beyond. We plan to build on our existing community literacy and fitness activities, to continue running our community programs, and to provide even more services, education and community in our beautiful little school.
We will miss the children, who bring so much life and laughter to our "school with a view."
Tuesday, 22 May 2012
Monday, 6 February 2012
Using our iPads and iPods
We are beginning to see the incredible potential of the new mobile digital tools we have in our schools. At BES, we are finding some great educational apps for the iPads. If you have a chance, check out Scribble Press and ShowMe. Ms. Vibe has been using both to teach creative writing in her early primary class. Dragon Dictation is another great app for beginning writers and editors. MusicSparkle, SingingFingers, RubyRepeat and Monster Chorus are fun and educational music apps. Kids of all ages can get creative with Egg A Sketch, Pottery HD and Hello Color Pencil. All these apps were downloaded for free.
The iPods are very similar to the iPads. The larger size of the iPads is great for little kids as they learn fine motor control. The iPods have the benefit of being more compact and portable - great for recording audio, photos or video while you are out and about. We have found some great apps to use with nature, too, like Leafsnap, Skyview, and the Peterson Feeder Birds of North America app.
Last week, I interviewed students at EES for the Southern Zone newsletter article about learning American Sign Language. It was fun for me to use Voice Memos to interview children for the article, using the same technology that is now in all our Southern Zone classrooms - as an app on the classroom iPods. It was like using a microphone and tape recorder, but all in one small device.
When I played back one of the voice recordings, the primary children noticed that if they had not explained themselves clearly in words, the listener didn't know what they were talking about - the littlest ones were surprised that they couldn't hear the parts of the conversation that consisted of gesture and sign. Some of the other children spontaneously began to articulate what was missing from the recording, practicing ways to communicate according to the specific needs of their audience.
In the intermediate class, someone noticed that sign language was the opposite of the voice recording. In ASL, you "listen" to the words with your eyes; with a recording you need to create understanding and visuals from the words you hear. As they think about how to communicate in different ways, using different tools and modalities, our students are learning advanced literacy skills that will help them succeed in school and in life.
The iPods are very similar to the iPads. The larger size of the iPads is great for little kids as they learn fine motor control. The iPods have the benefit of being more compact and portable - great for recording audio, photos or video while you are out and about. We have found some great apps to use with nature, too, like Leafsnap, Skyview, and the Peterson Feeder Birds of North America app.
Last week, I interviewed students at EES for the Southern Zone newsletter article about learning American Sign Language. It was fun for me to use Voice Memos to interview children for the article, using the same technology that is now in all our Southern Zone classrooms - as an app on the classroom iPods. It was like using a microphone and tape recorder, but all in one small device.
When I played back one of the voice recordings, the primary children noticed that if they had not explained themselves clearly in words, the listener didn't know what they were talking about - the littlest ones were surprised that they couldn't hear the parts of the conversation that consisted of gesture and sign. Some of the other children spontaneously began to articulate what was missing from the recording, practicing ways to communicate according to the specific needs of their audience.
In the intermediate class, someone noticed that sign language was the opposite of the voice recording. In ASL, you "listen" to the words with your eyes; with a recording you need to create understanding and visuals from the words you hear. As they think about how to communicate in different ways, using different tools and modalities, our students are learning advanced literacy skills that will help them succeed in school and in life.
Friday, 27 January 2012
From Snow Sports to iPads
It was a treat to visit Summit Lake Ski Hill yesterday and chat with parents, staff and students about how things have been going on the ski hill. Since I have been away in Vancouver for almost a week, it was nice to catch up on how things have been going at our schools, as well. My trip to the coast was very productive, with sessions and meetings on school collaboration, special needs inclusion, adaptive technology and library resources, as well as a number of valuable professional conversations. While I was traveling I was able to preview a huge number of apps for our new iPads. It's amazing what these tools can do.
It's great working in our Southern Zone schools, because I get to see such a breadth of learning, from quality applications of educational technology, to serious snow sports and environmental experiences. I am sure that these apparently completely different kinds of activities are not really that far apart. Snap a picture on an iPod or iPad while out in nature, include a voice-over commentary with your observations, questions and wondering, and the artifact of outdoor learning you captured using a digital tool can take everybody's learning further when you get back to your classroom to share what you found and thought.
I really appreciate the balance our teachers are managing to strike between technology and nature-based learning. Both are crucial for our young people as they grow into global citizens, with a complex world to take care of. 21st Century learning is about finding ways for digital technology to interact with environmental stewardship, physical fitness, global citizenship and community building. In case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty excited about all the possibilities for education that are emerging in these amazing times. I say it often as I play show and tell with technology in my professional and personal life - we are living in the future.
It's great working in our Southern Zone schools, because I get to see such a breadth of learning, from quality applications of educational technology, to serious snow sports and environmental experiences. I am sure that these apparently completely different kinds of activities are not really that far apart. Snap a picture on an iPod or iPad while out in nature, include a voice-over commentary with your observations, questions and wondering, and the artifact of outdoor learning you captured using a digital tool can take everybody's learning further when you get back to your classroom to share what you found and thought.
I really appreciate the balance our teachers are managing to strike between technology and nature-based learning. Both are crucial for our young people as they grow into global citizens, with a complex world to take care of. 21st Century learning is about finding ways for digital technology to interact with environmental stewardship, physical fitness, global citizenship and community building. In case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty excited about all the possibilities for education that are emerging in these amazing times. I say it often as I play show and tell with technology in my professional and personal life - we are living in the future.
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